Legal Handfastings

Legal handfastings are a matter of concern to many Canadian Pagans. Anyone
 priest, priestess, or simply a friend  can handfast you.
Religious matters are concerns only of one's faith group and not 'legalized'
by the government. What is 'legal' in the matter of handfastings is a
marriage certificate, a species of contract filed with the provincial
government, which protects the parties with respect to support, inheritance
rights, etc. This must be signed by a government official, such as a judge.
For the sake of convenience, so that people don't need to visit both a
church and a courthouse, the province deputizes some clergy to act as
their agent in this matter. This is a matter of contracts, not a matter
of religion.

For a clergyperson to be deputized by the provincial government, they
must be nominated by a 'church' or similar religious body that meets certain
qualifications (number of people belonging, length of time in existence,
etc.  which to ensure certain reliability and continuity, not to
'legitimize' religious activities). Each province has its own specifics,
and we will post information, or links to same, as we locate them.

In the meantime, the only province with Pagan clergy duly deputized to
fulfil this function is B.C., with the Aquarian
Tablernacle Church.

In Ontario and Quebec, the AllSeasonsChurch
has Pagans in their group of 'credentialed' clergy, and if they
are not available the other people on staff are happy to do handfastings
or any kind of marriage ceremony you specify.

If you are interested in doing legally recognized marriages as Pagan
clergy, here are the requirements you must meet:-

A denomination must be functioning within the province of British Columbia
for a period of at least five years; or alternatively, demonstrate that
they have been established in Canada for a minimum of five years, have
been recognized for the purposes of solemnizing marriages in at least
one other province and have a church or congregation established in British
Columbia at the time of applications.

Some other requirements 

a)

Societies act certificate (if a formal non-profit)

b)

sampling of five years' worth of minutes (your own, or your Canadian
parent body)

c)

constitution and bylaws

d)

sample Marriage ceremony

e)

list of names proposed as 'religious representatives'

f)

ordination or appointment for each

ALBERTA

The following information and documents are needed in order to determine
if the applying organization is eligible to be registered for the purpose
of performing marriage ceremonies by its authorized ministers/clergy.



Certificate of Incorporation, and related incorporation documents
from the Alberta Corporate Registry, Division of Alberta Registries,
issued according to the Societies Act, the Religious Societies'
land Act, or Companies Act.



Date and place of incorporation of founding of the religious body,
and length of time in continuous operation in Alberta. (Note: If
presently, or previously, affiliated with another religious group,
please indicate the name of the group, address and length of association.)



Constitution and by-laws of the religious body, including provisions
for ordination, appointment and dismissal of ministers or clergy.



Religious sacraments, including the marriage ceremony.



Proposed Marriage Statement to be given to couples at time of marriage
ceremony.



Address of the regular meeting place; scheduled days and hours
of worship.



Names and addresses of members/believers 18 years of age or older
and living in this Province. (Minimum of 100 members)



Names, addresses and telephone numbers of clergy living in Alberta
to be registered to perform marriages.



Name, address and telephone number of Governing Authority (e.g.
Chairman, President, Elder  elected to represent the organization
to Vital Statistics), including executive minutes, appointment documents
confirming their representation.

Alberta also has provision for temporary Marriage Commissioners.
This might be an easier route.

Individuals seeking a temporary marriage commissioner appointment must
meet eligibility criteria. Temporary marriage commissioners are appointed
to permit couples, who are getting married, to select someone who is special
to them to perform the marriage ceremony. These appointments are for one
day only (24 hours).

Persons applying for a temporary appointment must submit an Application
for Temporary Appointment as an Alberta Marriage Commission to:

Upon receipt, Alberta Registries will process the application within
three weeks. The candidate must be a permanent Alberta resident. For the
purpose of becoming a temporary marriage commissioner, a resident is defined
as a person:



Lawfully entitled to be in Alberta, who makes their home in Alberta
and is ordinarily present in Alberta for 6 months or more a year



Who would ordinarily pay Alberta income tax



Who is eligible for Alberta Health Care Insurance



Who is eligible to vote in Alberta

The Candidate must be an adult (18 years of age or older).

Temporary marriage commissioners are not permitted to represent themselves
as permanent marriage commissioners, nor are they permitted to solicit
business of this nature.

An individual will not be granted a temporary appointment more than three
times per year. Appointing an individual as temporary marriage commission
is meant to be an occasional occurrence as there are permanent commissioners
appointed to meet the ongoing social demands for civil ceremonies.

MANITOBA

Application for recognition as a religious denomination including
a petition signed by members of the organization who reside in Manitoba.
The petition may take the format shown below:

Name

Address

Signature

1.

2.

3.

etc. to 25

2.

A statement of religious doctrines, dogma or creed.

3.

An example of a marriage ceremony used by the organization must
be submitted.

4.

Evidence that the members of the organization are closely associated
for the purpose of religious worship must be prepared and might
consist of one or more of:

a)

date and place of founding of the organization in Manitoba;

b)

papers of incorporation under The Manitoba Corporations
Act;

c)

registration as a charitable or non-profit organization with
Revenue Canada;

d)

description of the structure of the organization, including
names and addresses of officers in Manitoba and any affiliation
with a larger religious group;

e)

statement identifying Manitoba clergy for whom registration
is requested including names, addresses, place of worship
and membership.

5.

Please indicate the name, address, phone number, and title of the
individual to be designated as the local "governing authority"
for the organization in Manitoba, who will be responsible to complete
forms for registering clergy.

Regarding registering Clergy with our office to perform weddings, the
clergy member needs to contact the signing authority for their denomination
and then they will make application to be registered with our office.
Members of the Clergy also have the option of "one-day" permits.
If they are from out of province, or country, they contact the signing
authority for their denomination here in Manitoba and they will apply
for them. There is no cost. Processing is generally between 1 to 3 weeks.

An easier route would seem to be to bypass the religious 'recognition'
thing altogether and apply to be a permanent or one-time Marriage Commissioner.
That way any priest or priestess (or anyone) could perform a handfasting.

In Manitoba, any resident who is over the age of 18, a Canadian Citizen
and a permanent resident of Manitoba, can apply to become a permanent
marriage commissioner. We also have "one-day" permits; again
the person would have to meet the previous requirements stated.

For the "one-day" permit, the person simply sends us a letter
stating who they are, indicating that they meet the stated requirements
and providing us with the names of the bride and groom and where the wedding
will occur. There is no cost involved and processing is anywhere from
4 to 6 weeks.

When applying a to be a permanent marriage commissioner there is a short
application to be filled in. The applicant returns it to us with their
resume and 3 letters of reference. Again, there is no cost; however processing
takes a little longer, generally 2 to 3 months.

Please find enclosed an application form (11259) for registration as
a person authorized to solemnize marriage in Ontario.

The completed application form should be returned to this office together
with the following documentation:

- Proof of Ordination/ Appointment. (Copy of Certificate)  Copy of Renewal / Fellowship card for the current year if applicable.  Letter of authorization from the governing official (for Ontario) of
your denomination.

The letter must indicate the following:
a) Your current status with the denomination.
b) The denomination's recognition of your entitlement to perform marriage
in accordance with its rites and usages.
c) The name and mailing address of Church / congregation to be served.
d) The name, address and current status of your predecessor (if any) at
the particular church / congregation being served.

We cannot accept faxes or photocopies of application or governing officials'
letters as we must have original signatures.

Yours truly,
Team representative
Marriage office

Second Letter:
From the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations
Registration Division
Office of the Registrar General
P.O. Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6L8
Telephone: 1-800-461-2156 or 416-325-8305

MARRIAGE ACT (SECTION 20) MEMORANDUM OF REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTERING
UNDER A NEW DENOMINATION

Please number all correspondence to match the requirements at assist
this office in reviewing your file. When applying to this office, the
following information is required:

1. Appointment and dismissal of Clergy: supply us with the bylaws or
rules of your denomination which clearly set out how your clergy member
are appointed and dismissed.

2. A copy of your denomination's rites and usages respecting solemnization
of marriage. An actual copy of your marriage ceremony is required.

3. A copy of the form of worship, namely actions or practices of displaying
reverence or veneration paid to a being or power regarded as supernatural
or divine displayed by appropriate acts, rites, and ceremonies.

4. A registration package for each clergy is required to include:
a) a completed application;
b) a copy of your ordination or proof of appointment;
c) a letter of authorization from the governing official of your denomination
permitting your to solemnize marriages according to that denomination's
rites and usages.

5. A letter stating who will be the governing official for the denomination.
The governing official shall be responsible for keeping the records of
all clergy registered under the denomination and report to the office
of the Registrar General any changes in status or addresses of clergy
registered under their denomination.

6. A certified copy of the incorporation papers for your denomination
is required. This will reflect the date and place of incorporation or
founding of the religious body. A copy of your registration as a charity
with Revenue Canada is also needed.*

7. A statement is required which reflects information about the congregation.
Please show the name(s) and location(s) of the church(es) and the number
of members and adherents showing the extent and continuous growth of the
membership of the body. Include evidence that would indicate the length
of time the denomination has been functioning inside or outside of Ontario.

8. A statement showing the organizational structure of your denomination
explaining the procedure by which your governing official would be appointed
or relieved of jurisdictional authority.

9. Signatures and address of at least 25 members of the denomination,
excluding clergy and their families, petitioning us to register the denomination.